Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Books are my comfort food!

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

We will not go back.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / NRA Open Thread: Is It Worse to Be A Blood-Hungry True Believer, or Just A Grifter Riling Up the True Believers for the Money?

NRA Open Thread: Is It Worse to Be A Blood-Hungry True Believer, or Just A Grifter Riling Up the True Believers for the Money?

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Much applause from the fellow-grifter seats (remember Erickson’s ‘send Olympia Snowe bags of rock salt, but do it through my Amazon link cuz I need the commission’ days of yore?)…

Turns out, her boss had already shown her the way…

Reader Interactions

182Comments

  2. 2.

    Amir Khalid

    Is It Worse to Be A Blood-Hungry True Believer, or Just A Grifter Riling Up the True Believers for the Money?

    Yes.

  4. 4.

    Gin & Tonic

    I don’t speak RWNJ and don’t have my scorecard handy, but was Dana Loesch anything before she sold her soul to the NRA?

  5. 5.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Dana Loesch came to me 10yrs ago pitching a sitcom starring herself: “A hot young mom who does far right radio show.” Said her age & looks would make 1 side hate her & 1 love her so everyone would watch. Was obsessed w the potential fame & money. I turned her down.

    Ten years ago… so she saw all the attention Palin was getting and figured, “i’m half her age! I can do this! ” I wonder if she tried to get Fox, ETA by which I mean Ailes, to pitch it to the entertainment side. I seem to recall they took a run at a few “conservative friendly” sitcoms, with Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar?

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: Thank you. I have very mixed feelings about it. ;-)

    I am revolting against this revolting thread, though. Who wants to discuss this loser? Be nice to have something lighter. I don’t think it helps to examine these soulless wonders; never get the time back. I don’t know why we are expected to marinate in this stupidity. It was enough to skim Trump’s CPAC remarks this afternoon.

  14. 14.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: This is a reason I don’t comment as much any more. It’s like — here! You missed this turd.

    No thank you. We all have a choice on how we allocate our time and attention.

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: That’s why I quite reading one of the other blogs I read daily. All they did was round up the terrible news from the right wing, and I could never figure out why they would want to amplify that rather than talk about the things we actually want or care about.

  20. 20.

    Elizabelle

    @WaterGirl: That is what it has felt like here, a lot. It’s enough of a downer living through the Trump misadministration, without going to look for more ugliness to spotlight. Who gives a fuck about Dana Loesch?

  22. 22.

    Elizabelle

    @WaterGirl: I loved Germany’s wonderful clean trains and buses, that ran on time. And drove the autobahn, although never at 140 and up. (You could feel your own car shake as someone swooshed past in the next lane. It was unnerving to see them loom up way behind. Stuck to the two right lanes.)

    I never saw a car accident in Germany or Spain, in all the weeks (although I did see the police out cleaning up after one near Stuttgart). Vehicles were gone.

  23. 23.

    bystander

    Actually, I came here to try and figure out what indictment got filed when, so I was hoping the thread had already veered off, preferably not into Brunswick stew recipes.

  24. 24.

    Shalimar

    @Gin & Tonic: She had a radio show and was active in St. Louis, but her main claim to fame pre-NRA was working for Breitbart and then suing them to get out of her contract after the Great Blowhard’s death.

  29. 29.

    JPL

    @WaterGirl: I left you a response about the Rice article down below.. Politico now has an article up, but this is the key paragraph..

    “President Obama and his national security team were justifiably concerned about potential risks to the Nation’s security from sharing highly classified information about Russia with certain members of the Trump transition team, particularly Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn,”

  30. 30.

    Chet Murthy

    Well, if this is OT, I still don’t understand one thing about pardons: How is this time different from Iran-Contra, when Poppy Bush pardoned all his co-conspirators, thereby effectively pardoning himself? I have theories about why it’s different, but if “being pardoned means you can be compelled to testify”, gee, you’d think that special prosecutor Walsh wouldn’t have been so broken-up about the pardons. And the investigation wouldn’t have died. Eh?

    So what’s different this time?

  33. 33.

    Aleta

    She sounded like someone being groomed to run for office, at the tv town hall. Big $ backing is available I’m sure.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: I am not a fan of fast speeds like that in a car. My boyfriend in college took me out in his ’67 Chevy and I remember going 105 and I wanted to slow down!!!

    I guess the speed isn’t as bad if the roads aren’t filled with idiots and assholes?

    @Baud: Really? There is still a lot of smoking in Europe? I picture them as being ahead of us on everything.

  37. 37.

    lollipopguild

    So when La Pierre holds a press conference to admit that he stays young by drinking the blood of kids killed in school shootings what do think the Media’s reaction will be?

  38. 38.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I only upgraded last weekend because my iPhone started misbehaving and I speculated that it’s because they were trying to force me to upgrade. I can’t recall what hadn’t been working properly, but sure enough, the upgrade fixed it. I was at least 2 or 3 versions behind on my phone.

    Sorry I can’t recall what it was – my week was all puppies all the time so everything else seems to have fallen out of my ears as I slept.

  39. 39.

    Aleta

    RE “Going to name (my new guns) for” … -Erics

    Sarah Chadwick// #NEVERAGAIN‏
    @sarahchad_
    We should change the names of AR-15s to “Marco Rubio” because they are so easy to buy.

  42. 42.

    Elizabelle

    @schrodingers_cat: that was beautiful. I liked the glimmers of colored glass, too.

    @WaterGirl: Indictments are great. Only thing that had me happy about returning. And I do think we hit a tipping point WRT gun violence in our schools.

    @Baud: I have been picking up empty European cigarette boxes. It amuses me that people still smoke when the boxes are emblazoned with big photos of blackened and deadish feet, people dying in their living rooms, ruined teeth, the horror of impotence … they just blow right through them.

  43. 43.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: You never said much about your trip, and I got the impression that it might have been a bit of a disappointment for you. Am I way off base?

  47. 47.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: It truly was all puppies all the time. Not sure if you are up on all the puppy news, but they went home yesterday morning. I cried when they left! But I have to admit that it was nice to get up today and not have any rain and 16 paws to wipe. We had rain 8 of the 10 days they were here. Not fair.

    I really liked your comment on the doggie thread that Adam put up.

    Did you see that my little Henry has to have surgery on Tuesday?

  50. 50.

    efgoldman

    @WaterGirl:

    you guys could always start talking about your world travels.

    Oh gawds! Not the slide shows!
    I can’t remember how many boxes my dad had in the closet when he died. Cases and cases, going back more than 50 years. Didn’t even try to cull them. To the landfill!

  54. 54.

    Steve in the ATL

    @bystander:

    Actually, I came here to try and figure out what indictment got filed when, so I was hoping the thread had already veered off, preferably not into Brunswick stew recipes.

    The key is using brown ground squirrels.

  55. 55.

    Mary G

    It’s not uplifting, but hopefully someone (Adam, probably) will front page Franklin Foer’s new longform in the Atlantic about Paul Manafort: the years before Trump called Paul Manafort, American Hustler. He describes a 28-year-old Manafort in 1977 and the election of the president of the Young Republicans:

    In Memphis, Manafort was working on behalf of his friend Roger Stone, now best known as a pioneer in opposition research and a promiscuous purveyor of conspiracy theories. He managed Stone’s candidacy for chairman of the group. Stone, then 24, reveled in the fact that he’d received his political education during Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign in 1972; he even admitted to playing dirty tricks to benefit his idol. Stone and Manafort had met through College Republicans. They shared a home state, an affection for finely tailored power suits, and a deeper love of power itself. Together, they campaigned with gleeful ruthlessness.

    In 1976, he worked for Gerald Ford with Jim Baker, but dumped Ford for Reagan. He’s always been an immoral sleeze.

  56. 56.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Gin & Tonic: A legacy of highly profitable failure. Breitbart till she stopped drawing eyeballs. Her radio show from St. Louis, changing networks when it stopped drawing ears. The Blaze, again until she stopped drawing ears and eyeballs. And now the NRA spokeswoman gig.

  57. 57.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: I always liked it when BGinChi posted here more. He would make some interesting comment at the beginning of a thread and then the rest of the thread would be everyone talking about whatever it was that he had introduced. Those threads were so interesting!

    As were Cole’s threads that were often just one sentence, but he could really start a conversation.

  59. 59.

    Roger Moore

    @Elizabelle:
    All the threats about the terrible things cigarettes do to you, and all the gruesome pictures won’t do nearly as much to dissuade people from smoking as doubling the price of a pack.

  62. 62.

    Aleta

    This may sound trite but I’ve been thinking about how the X Games have transformed the Olympics in alpine. And how these freestyle and snowboard events came to be, because the entire competitive sport had to be invented.

    When snowboarders became equal on the slopes with skiers, official events like the slalom and downhilling didn’t exist for them. You couldn’t just have traditional timed runs straight down the mountain for them. Snowboarders don’t ski the way skiiers ski. Competition sports for snowboarding that reflect what snowboarders do had to be invented.

    (I mean, in the beginning, in the 60s when kids were fastening roller skate wheels to boards and getting on them, and the wheels didn’t turn, the competition was just how long a kid could stay on before they fell off.)

  65. 65.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Elizabelle:

    And drove the autobahn, although never at 140 and up.

    Few years back we were staying with friends near Frankfurt. Had an early-morning flight out, and they didn’t have a car, so we got a car service. Nice Mercedes sedan. From the back seat I watched the driver get on the autobahn to the airport, and seconds later the speedo is reading over 200 (km/h. not mph.) That’s fast.

  66. 66.

    Elizabelle

    Thinking about smoking has cheered me up a tad. It’s still with us, but greatly reduced. We have whole nonsmoking restaurants, hotels, airplanes. Took a long time, but we got there.

    And we will get there with guns. It’s a public health menace. Tipping point.

  67. 67.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: He tore his ACL, poor guy. He’ll have to be in the crate or in my lap for at least 6 weeks. I will really need you guys then because I’m sure I’m going to spending a lot of time at the computer as I sit in the same room with him in an attempt for Henry not to spontaneously combust.

    Henry is my little energizer bunny and he will be beside himself at being cooped up. Even if Henry is in my lap, I have to have a leash on him because he cannot walk around on his own or jump down. The only time he gets to walk is when I carry him outside to use the bathroom, and even then he has to be on the leash. Not looking forward to this.

  69. 69.

    lgerard

    Dana tried for years to make it as a wingnut pundit to no avail. She also seemed to alienate everyone that she has ever worked with (see Breitbart and Glenn Beck). At some point she realized her only hope was in a niche market and she chose gunz as it is less competitive then god or gheys.

    Let me point out for the umpteenth time her infomercials for Superbeets! as proof of her desperation.

  75. 75.

    chris

    @Timurid: I googled Ms. Loesch yesterday and there was a pic of her in a tight black leather shirt. The google also informed me that her last name is pronounced “Lash.” Not my fetish but…

  79. 79.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Baud: I know a gentleman garne whose business card reads “Gentleman Farmer”.

    Sure, less intimidating than oligarch, but you go with the career you have, not the one you would use to impress Dotard.

  82. 82.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: It will be rough, but I’m lucky in that Henry is just a little guy of 13 pounds. When a big dog goes through this, it’s that much more difficult. My niece went through it 3 times with her golden retriever. And she didn’t have pet insurance, which I do. So the 3k for the surgery will cost me about $400 out of pocket.

  86. 86.

    lgerard

    @Elizabelle:

    Someone tried to tell me the other day that Prohibition proves that laws governing social conduct don’t work and are doomed to fail.
    That is a myth and a total misunderstanding of history. Prohibition led to a dramatic decrease on alcohol consumption even after it was repealed. More importantly it changed the way people consumed alcohol. making it more of a temperate social experience. The incidents of public intoxication and alcohol poisoning were a fraction of what they had been before Prohibition.

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    @efgoldman: You’re right! I had forgotten the dreaded words: “would you like to see the pictures from my trip?” That’s what I love about electronic photographs – you can whip though them at your own speed, lingering over the ones that are of interest.

    Sorry, but I don’t really care about the photos with a bunch of people I don’t know in them.

  94. 94.

    WaterGirl

    @lamh36: A real classy bunch, they are.

    OT, the other day I went to click on a tab in my browser and accidentally clicked on a bookmark right above it, and your lawn chair guy showed up! That’s my favorite gif of yours of all time.

  95. 95.

    Miss Bianca

    @efgoldman: When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, there used to be this local TV series called “George Pierrot Presents” which was essentially old George and his buddies hanging out in easy chairs while they showed home movies – or, rather, home movie-style video of their travel experiences. Sounds really bizarre now, but in retrospect, I think it may have been an early spark for me – I always wanted to travel from an early age, and I wonder if some of it came from those blurry footage of Belgium and other such exotic climes

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle:

    Maybe you can wrap him up like a burrito.

    That is such a great idea! He would never stand for that, but it makes me laugh just to think of it.

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    @satby: Yeah, and 6 weeks is the minimum. Can be up to 10, I think, but I’m going with 6. :-)

    Glad you are starting to at least feel better. It seems endless when you’re sick, doesn’t it?

  101. 101.

    Elizabelle

    @danielx: Yeah, I suspect that’s true. Again, didn’t see any. Or breakdowns, even. Am told Germans are fined heavily for having unroadworthy cars.

    Do have a friend who is quite a good driver doing way high speed in her state of the art BMW on a trip to and from Stuttgart. Again, very good driver, but I did not feel safe and only relaxed when we got to surface streets. Too much imagination of what could go wrong. Will stick to the trains for high speed.

  102. 102.

    lamh36

    @Amir Khalid: Oh, sure he did…but to white folks…like with Obama…he accomplished all that with “luck” and cause of the “white folk” that had his back…no Black man, even a Republican one…can possbily be given ANY credit for doing anything of acocmplishment

  103. 103.

    efgoldman

    @WaterGirl:

    I don’t really care about the photos with a bunch of people I don’t know in them.

    It wasn’t the people, it was the places. Yes, wonderful places, but for much less than the film and processing costs he could have bought professionally photographed postcards.

  111. 111.

    JPL

    @WaterGirl: After Sandy Hook I wrote letters to my Senators about taxing the hell out of ammo. I mentioned that it should cost more than pennies to kill a child. Saxby Chambliss’ office sent back a lengthy response on maybe that would be a way forward. Then he didn’t run for reelection. Isakson’s office was a form letter on the 2nd amendment cuz the founders must have loved ammo.
    Good for Chris Rock.

  112. 112.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Aleta: English breakfast names for themselves. They decided to try to go native when they started curling. They chose their favorite items as their names. The skip’s name is Annie because she likes Annie’s yogurt. The third (I think) is Pancake, because she likes pancakes. I think the alternate is Scrapple…

  113. 113.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Timurid: For me it depends on the movie. Too much masala gives me indigestion. I don’t think I have seen Mughal-E-Azam. I am familiar with its legendary score. IIRC it was Madhubala’s last movie. Also not a huge fan of the Bollywood moniker, either.

  115. 115.

    zhena gogolia

    @bystander:

    Still working on my theory that the ending of Suspicion totally maintains the same ambiguity about Cary Grant that has been established throughout. I now think it’s Hitchcock’s most brilliant film, and that’s saying something.

  117. 117.

    gene108

    @WaterGirl:

    Really? There is still a lot of smoking in Europe? I picture them as being ahead of us on everything.

    Not on smoking. Probably some other things as well.

    Despite Republican efforts to destroy this country, America still has redeeming values.

  118. 118.

    Mary G

    Here is a cute doggie on Twitter:

    I think I know how to raise my own puppies if you don’t mind, becky. pic.twitter.com/435lFJlLXI— Clint Falin (@ClintFalin) February 22, 2018

    Also, too, here is a great photo essay and article about flying squirrels and their amazing abilities.

    As more and more squirrels flew through wind tunnels and along blocked-off biology department corridors, it became clear that flying squirrels have a marked disregard for basic aerodynamic constraints. For example, the squirrels were frequently recorded moving through the air with extraordinarily high “angles of attack,” which is the angle between the wing—in this case the patagium—and the direction of oncoming airflow. Aircraft typically stall when their angle of attack reaches 15 to 20 degrees. Flying squirrels routinely reach 60 degrees, far exceeding values that would result in the stall and crash of even the most advanced military jets. Stalling is caused by a loss of lift. This occurs when the main source of lift, air vortices—the swirls of air that form at the leading edge of a wing as a result of differences in the pressure below and above the wing—essentially slide down the wing surface at high angles. Except, evidently, when the wing belongs to a flying squirrel.

    Nature is amazing.

  119. 119.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Shalimar:
    The first time I ever heard of her was seven or eight years ago when some Marines killed Taliban members in Afghanistan and then peed on the corpses, and Loesch said something to the effect that she’d like to “drop her trou” and do the same. Vile then, vile now, vile forever.

  121. 121.

    J R in WV

    @Elizabelle:

    Was recently (a couple of years ago now, but will bet a large amount of $$ it’is still the same) driving to AZ from WV and went north instead of south. In Missouri we stopped for lunch, in a big restaurant at an Interstate interchange. We were late for lunch, so not many folks in the very large dining room.

    We sat down, ordered our food, in the empty room, and a guy sat down in the booth right next to us, and fired up a cigarette instantly when his butt hit the seat. I’m sure he did it so he could piss us off. There were 90 empty table and 50 empty booths, he sat right beside the two old liberals.

    Will never drive through MO again, ever, same for Kansas. Smoking is OK with me, but not right next to me. My mom died of Pall Malls, fuck all of those companies.

    We didn’t have so much trouble in Europe, actually. Most of the nice places in Italy had a no smoking policy, except in the country towns, where we got to sit outside mostly. Will be in Mexico soon, will report back on smoking issues.

  123. 123.

    efgoldman

    @JPL:

    Saxby Chambliss’ office sent back a lengthy response on maybe that would be a way forward. Then he didn’t run for reelection. Isakson’s office was a form letter on the 2nd amendment cuz the founders must have loved ammo.

    I’m not the first to say: the Second Amendment as conceived by the framers and the courts allows unlimited access and ownership of muskets, musket balls, wads, flint and steel.

  124. 124.

    gene108

    @Elizabelle:

    And I do think we hit a tipping point WRT gun violence in our schools.

    We reached a tipping point about guns. Period.

    Bill Clinton got the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban passed, and the Democrats proceeded to lose in 1994, and have only held a majority in the House for 4 of the last 24 years.

    I think a lot of people believe the gun control laws, especially the AWB, cost Dems in rural areas, which they used to be able to win.

    I think people are realizing we tried all the bullshit* solutions right-wingers proposed, like armed guards in schools, and nothing has changed. At some point, when your solutions have not solved problems for 20 years people have had enough of your shit.

    * The anti-bullying campaigns are to some degree (I don’t know how much), in response to preventing schools being shot up, so one good thing did happen.

  126. 126.

    SFAW

    @Shalimar:

    after the Great Blowhard’s death.

    The sixth anniversary of which we will be noting (celebrating?) in 6 days. And best of all, he is — as is el Generalissimo — still dead.

  127. 127.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @efgoldman: And an NCO looking over your shoulder and complaining that you didn’t clean it properly.

    That’s the “well regulated” part.

  128. 128.

    Elizabelle

    @J R in WV: Personally, I would have said something, politely; and followed up with the manager if that did not work. Cannot allow that kind of intimidation.

    It’s sad, because there are probably many fine people, and pies, in Missouri, but if ashmoles like this one have us avoiding the state …

    I do wonder if the red states are seeing any kind of falloff in tourism income. I personally think long and hard about where I travel these days (although some times you just got to be in a red state).

  129. 129.

    SFAW

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Or, if you want a burger, ground brown squirrels.

    Which is actually how my only-partially-functioning brain read it the first time, causing me to do a figurative double-take.

  132. 132.

    Ohio Mom

    @efgoldman: My MIL insisted we take Ohio Dad’s dad’s many, many boxes of travel slides.

    A quick look showed they had disintegrated. The colors had started to slide down the clear backing — kind of psychedelic in a way. Made throwing them out even easier.

  134. 134.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: I am not. But you don’t see too many Korean women named Scrapple. And if you heard that a woman was named Scrapple, you wouldn’t expect her to be 5’1 and weigh 97 lbs.

    More seriously, I can’t remember what the other three team members breakfast based nicknames are.

  135. 135.

    Omnes Omnibus

    For those interested in the Open Thread part of this thread: After the weird text thing from my former boss earlier this week, I had a long meeting with my new boss today. She is relentlessly positive. She also showed that she was aware of what I have been doing and what I bring to the table. Looks forward to developing a good relationship, etc. On may part, the former boss and I worked together for a long time, but I work for the company not the person and I am looking forward to working with her going forward. The undercurrent of passive-aggressive management is gone. Today was a good day.*

    *”Didn’t even have to use my AK.”

  140. 140.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    She also showed that she was aware of what I have been doing and what I bring to the table.

    So you’re saying she’s also a Cheesehead? Or do you actually have some other skill?

    More seriously: Glad to hear things (seem to be, so far) turning out well.

  142. 142.

    burnspbesq

    @Baud:

    no one is a fan of iOS 11.

    Audiophiles love iOS 11. We can load high-resolution audio files. on our devices without an aftermarket app, for the first time.

  145. 145.

    efgoldman

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I work for the company not the person and I am looking forward to working with her going forward

    With all the blogging time I’ve missed in the last several months, that you are in the private sector (“company”) whizzed right by me.
    I knew Snotty croaked your job, I didn’t realize (I should have) that he divorced you from state service.

  147. 147.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I am not.

    OK then

    But you don’t see too many Korean women named Scrapple. And if you heard that a woman was named Scrapple, you wouldn’t expect her to be 5’1 and weigh 97 lbs.

    I missed that whole curling reference, should have picked up on it.

    As regards the whole “it’s not really an athletic endeavor, but let’s see if we can sell the IOC on including THIS thing in the Olympic games!” front, I’m thinking someone should make a push for billiards, snooker, tiddly winks, pinball, or Skee-Ball to be the next “sport” the IOC approves for the 2020 or 2022 Games.

  150. 150.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @SFAW: I went to a high school that had a curling team. One of my best friends lettered in curling as a freshman. He waited to get a letter jacket until he lettered in tennis as a sophomore. He did wear the curling pin.

  152. 152.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: I do not know. My understanding of how the IOC works is that whoever shovels enough money at them under the table gets what they want. I fully expect the IOC will show up at some point the case Mueller is building against Manafort.

  155. 155.

    mad citizen

    I was pointed to the BJ Lexicon the other day. I just opened it for the first time. Alas, no entry for the “Great Blowhard”. I guess the lexicon does need some updating (as noted the other day). Have no idea who that could be. I mean, Rush is still going, albeit with a weird voice due to his hypocritical drug abusing.

  156. 156.

    Kay

    I think someone could have a lucrative grifter career as a “former liberal turned conservative”. You’d have to be careful though- it can’t be like a parody liberal- I feel a would-be grifter would be prone to give the game away by going overboard, so watch that.

    Then you could switch again and do a “tell all” about conservative grifting events/grifters. But that second part is not absolutely necessary, unless you hit a “Sarah Palin slump” and needed a new grift. I don’t think you should go into Part I thinking “on October 21st 2021 I switch again and launch Phase Two” because you have to believe it while you’re playing the part.

  157. 157.

    SFAW

    @mad citizen:

    Alas, no entry for the “Great Blowhard”. I guess the lexicon does need some updating (as noted the other day). Have no idea who that could be.

    Dead Andy Breitbart.

    Who is still dead, by the way.

  160. 160.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Omnes Omnibus: @SFAW: Anyone who held a commission had to be an asshole at one time or another. Comes with the territory. The key is to apply your assholishness judiciously, for maximum effect to support the mission, not just because you hold rank and can.

    This is where Donald has always failed.

  161. 161.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Villago Delenda Est: I had a friend who, as a platoon leader, said to his NCOs , “I want the enlisted guys to love me. If I see them doing something wrong (if it isn’t an immediate injury threat), I will find you and yell at you. Fix it,”

  163. 163.

    Kay

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    They would eat that up, though, Omnes.

    There might even be a Phase Three as a both-siders. That’s when you hit the Morning Joe circuit. That’s a steadier paycheck, although with less artistic fulfillment and range and certainly less flamboyant costuming.

  165. 165.

    OmnesOmnibus

    @Kay: Kay, take it up. Take the job. You know how to do it. Cash in. I doubt that you can. Why do you think that others can? Why shouldn’t people be offended by what you said?

  166. 166.

    Steve in the ATL

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Or, if you want a burger, ground brown squirrels.

    I *literally* LOL’d. Now the rest of the cabin is looking at me like I’m a serial killer. Or a lawyer.

  172. 172.

    SFAW

    @Calouste:

    Well, they already had golf in the last Olympics.

    Well, maybe I’m a hick from the sticks, but I consider golf a bit more of an athletic endeavor than curling.

    Although, frankly, I can’t understand it being included in the Olympics, either.

  173. 173.

    MobiusKlein

    Masters of war, hear me.

    And I hope that you die
    And your death’ll come soon
    I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon
    And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
    Down to your deathbed
    And I’ll stand over your grave ‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead.

  174. 174.

    Aleta

    I’m used to their hypocrisy, but this burns.

    NRA and Repubs are blaming social services for letting Cruz slip through, when they have advocated less government, tax cuts and constant cuts to social programs for years? While social workers are understaffed, overloaded with cases and paperwork.

    And they’re blaming police departments for not stopping Cruz, when they’ve lobbied for Florida laws that make it harder for police to take someone’s guns away. And laws that make police return a gun after they had cause to take it away.

    Social services in the US can’t even protect or identify all abused children. Most families who live with mental health issues don’t get help. Republicans have never wanted to allocate taxes for mental health treatment or require insurance coverage for it. Forget about prevention, because where’s the proof that it’s needed.

    They mostly ridicule or disbelieve people who suffer with mental illness and barely recognize it as a disability, until it happens to them. They’re OK when mentally disabled people are shot by police or die in jail cells.

    Now they’re going to become experts at identifying illness so they can require that of police? Without spending money. No, they’re only going to spend money on better tracking and make laws to give police control over certain people.

  182. 182.

    It's Not The Fall, It's The Landing

    Before she went full wingnut, Loesch, believe it or not, was a more-or-less garden-variety “mommy blogger” and even was briefly employed in that capacity by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Here’s an article from 2008 about her getting canned from that gig, after which she seems to have doubled down on the crazy: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2008/03/14/post-dispatch-and-stltodaycom-drop-mamalogues-columnist-dana-loesch

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